Still alive
by mostlysadstuck
Summary: What if Aradia had survived Vriska's attempt to kill her? First chapter in Sollux's pov.
1. Chapter 1

He slowly opens his eyes and grimaces. They feel like they're on fire. He pushes himself into a sitting position and brings a hand to his aching head. What happened? He was in his hive just a second ago. He obviously isn't anymore, since he can feel a soft breeze tickling his cheeks, and he's pretty sure his hive doesn't have grass and dirt instead of the floor. He rubs his temples, trying to remember anything that has to do with this awful headache, him sitting in the middle of a field, and ... and why the hell are his fingers sticky? He takes a look at his hands. He doesn't even need to stare at the yellow substance covering them for ten seconds before he realizes it's mind honey. Did he accidentally get some in his mouth? Is that what happened? Still doesn't explain why he's so far away from the communal hive stem. Whatever. He'll think later. He decides he'd better check what he managed to blow up. He glances up. There's a hive, or whatever's left of it, anyway. It doesn't seem to have been very big in the first place, probably belonged to a lowblood. There's rumble and dust everywhere. No signs of any trolls, but he gets up to have a look anyway. He wants to at least know if he has killed anyone. He ambles through the wreckage, looking for any signs of life (or lack thereof). He spots a mangle of white fur a couple of feet away from him. He figures it must be the troll's lusus. The body is too badly damaged to even tell what kind of lusus it is, but he recognizes the blood that's covering it. A feeling of dread settles over him. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest as he keeps moving, a little faster now. _It's not like she's the only one on the planet with burgundy colored blood. There are thousands of them,_ he tries to reassure himself.

Sollux freezes as he notices something that looks distinguishably troll-like lying in the wreckage ahead of him. He's running now. He's completely forgotten about the headache. He almost trips over some skulls, which doesn't calm him down. Of course, none of those skulls belong to a troll, but he knows that Aradia has a thing for them (and bones in general). She once told him she has a collection of them. He hopes this isn't it. His last bit of hope fades away as he reaches the troll. She's lying on her side, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, and unmoving. And _covered_ in blood that's undoubtedly hers.

"no ..."

He drops to his knees next to her.

"no, no, no, no, no," he keeps repeating as he cradles her into his arms. Her curled horns are scratched up, her long thick hair somewhat singed, but it's still her. Why, off all the trolls on Alternia, does have to be her? He holds her close and buries his face in her hair. He can't stop the tears from falling anymore. He just sits there, sobbing, until he feels something on his neck. It's so soft that it's almost nonexistent, but he can feel it. He forces himself to take a better look at the girl. He can't really see her chest rising and falling with each breath, but he can feel them on his skin when he holds his hand in front of her face. Just to make sure, he places two fingers on her neck and waits. He lets out a breath. It's there. A pulse. Weak, barely beating, but it's there. She's not dead. His heart clenches again as the voice in his head whispers, _not yet. _He has to get her help. But where? he couldn't imagine any troll around here giving a shit about a dying rust blood. If it were the Empress or one of her descendants, sure. But literally no one cares about the lowbloods. They die all the time. It's no big deal. But he isn't going to let his matesprit die.

He carefully picks her up, one arm under her knees, the other supporting her back. It scares him how light she is. Then again, she's lost a lot of blood. Still is. He can feel it dripping onto him. He hopes he has enough strength to fly back to his place. He knows the closest hive around is probably Tavros', but he doesn't know where it is, and besides, he doubts Tavros can be much help. Sollux heard he had got into an accident recently that left him paralysed. For now, he just has to focus on getting Aradia to his hive. Then, he'll see. He tightens his grip on her and takes off. He tries to keep his hands from shaking as he flies, but he can feel her blood soaking his shirt and her skin is cold to the touch and _she is slipping away right in front of him_. He swallows and tries to go faster.

After what seems like forever he finally reaches his hive stem. He doesn't even bother entering through the front door, since he lives at the very top and doesn't have time to use the stairs. He just goes in through one of his broken windows. He'll have to get that fixed later. He stumbles inside, panting, and gently sets Aradia down on the couch. He can see her better now, and it feels him with dread and guilt. She's still not responding, not even when he calls her name. He can hear Bicyclops bellowing up on the roof. He probably senses something is wrong. Sollux doesn't have time to go up and calm him down right now. The lusus will just have to deal with it. He runs to the ablution block and digs out the first aid kit. He always keeps bandages and pain killers around, even though the mind honey accidents don't happen as often as they used to. You never know. He begins to wrap a bandage around her stomach, where he figures most of the blood is coming from. She doesn't even flinch. He's crying again and he realizes right then that he can't do this alone. He scrambles to his computer. Only one of his friends is online, so he can't afford to be picky.

twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

TA: tz

GC: H3Y, WH4T'S UP?

TA: tz i need help i can't do this by myself please

GC: WO4H, WH4T'S GO1NG ON? 4ND 1 C4N T3LL 1T'S MOR3 S3R1OUS TH4N YOUR USU4L SH1T B3C4US3 YOU'R3 NOT 3V3N US1NG YOUR QU1RK

GC: ...

GC: SOLLUX?

TA: fuck she's still losing blood

TA: i don't know what to do and nobody's online fuck

GC: W41T, WHO? WH3R3 4R3 YOU?

TA: aa

TA: she's hurt really bad

TA: we're at my hive

TA: what do i do

GC: 4R4D14? WH4T H4PP3N3D? HOW MUCH BLOOD 4R3 W3 T4LK1NG?

TA: i don't fucking have time to explain

TA: she's dying

TA: blood everywhere oh god

GC: FUCK, OK4Y

CG: HOLD ON, 1'LL B3 R1GHT TH3R3

CG: TRY TO STOP TH3 BL33D1NG 4S MUCH 4S YOU C4N, OK4Y?

gallowsCalibrator [GA] ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

He can't imagine how Terezi can get to his hive any time soon and he's thinking about contacting someone else, but nobody is online. He sighs and does as she said, pressing a cloth to Aradia's right arm. He actually manages to clean some more wounds and wrap bandages around them, but it's still not enough. He leans in closer and wipes the blood off her face. His heart breaks at the thought of never seeing her beautiful eyes again. Or hearing her laugh. Or listening to her telling him about her latest FLARPing session.

The sound of the door opening snaps him back to reality. Terezi rushes into the block. She puts a hand on the wall, trying to catch her breath. Sollux blinks at her. Did she run the entire way? That's not possible, there is no way she could have made the long journey between her hive and Sollux's in half an hour, even by running.

"TZ, how diid you ...?" he starts.

She waves away his question and makes her way to the couch. She sits down and places a container on the floor next to her. Another medicine kit, Sollux notices. Good, he was running out of supplies.

"OH, GOD ..." Terezi mutters as she looks her friend over. "YOU W3R3N'T K1DD1NG."

"why the fuck would ii kiid about 2omethiing liike thii2?"

"YOU'R3 LUCKY 1 KNOW 4 TH1NG OR TWO 4BOUT 1NJUR13S," she says as she gets to work, cleaning the wounds. "NOW, PL34S3 T3LL M3 WH4T H4PP3N3D."

He thinks for a moment, because he's not so sure himself. "ii— ii diid thii2," he stammers. "ii thiink."

She stops and turns to face him. "YOU D1D TH1S?" she says slowly. He nods. "WHY? 1SN'T SH3, L1K3, YOUR M4T3SPR1T?"

"ii diidn't mean two!" he snaps. "ii don't even remember what happened! ii woke up and 2he wa2 ju2t ..." his voice breaks.

Terezi grits her teeth. "SO, YOU W3R3N'T 4W4R3 OF WH4T YOU W3R3 DO1NG? 4LMOST L1K3 ... SOM3ON3 W4S CONTROLL1NG YOU?"

He furrows his brow. "ii gue22 ... actually, yeah, that 2ound2 about riight. but who would—" he stops in mid sentence as he realizes he actually knows someone who has mind control abilities. Terezi has figured it out, too. She grabs the nearest pillow and screams into it.

"TH4T B1TCH! 1 C4N'T B3L13V3 SH3 WOULD STOOP SO LOW! F1RST T4VROS 4ND NOW TH1S!" She takes a couple of breaths to calm herself. "1'LL G3T H3R B4CK FOR TH1S. 1'LL M4K3 H3R P4Y."

Sollux puts his head in his hands. "thii2 ii2 all my fault. ii 2hould've fought agaiin2t iit. ii 2houldn't have let her u2e me liike thii2."

Terezi drops the pillow and sighs. "NO, 1T'S MY F4ULT. 1 TOLD H3R 1 WOULD T4K3 C4R3 OF VR1SK4. 1 TOLD H3R NOT TO G3T 1NVOLV3D. BUT TH3N 1 D1D NOTH1NG. 1 M34N, 1 W4S GO1NG TO, BUT ..." She slumped her shoulders. "1 W4SN'T F4ST 3NOUGH."

"fa2t ... TZ, not that ii don't appreciiate iit, but how diid you get here 2o fa2t?"

"1 W4S W1TH T4VROS. 1T'S NOT TH4T F4R 4W4Y. 4ND 1 R4N, S1NC3 YOU S33M3D SO STR3SS3D."

Good thing she did. Sollux doesn't know if he was even making any sense when he contacted her. He was so scared, so freaked out that he could barely type. He's a bit better now, as long as he doesn't glance to the right to look at his matesprit lying half dead on his couch, he'll be fine. Terezi quickly looks him over.

"YOU LOOK HORR1BL3," she says.

"gee, thank2."

"NO, L1K3, TH3R3'S BLOOD 4ND HON3Y 4ND ... STUFF ON YOU. GO CL34N UP. 1'LL T4K3 C4R3 OF H3R."

He's reluctant to leave Aradia's side, but he doesn't want to argue with Terezi. She's practically saved both him and Aradia tonight. He owes her, the least he can do is listen to her. He gets up and drags his feet to the ablution block. His reflection in the mirror almost scares him. Terezi was right. Blood and honey and ... stuff. His hair is messy and sticky. The dark circles under his eyes remind him how tired he is. Basically, he looks like shit and feels just the same. He splashes water on his face and grabs a towel. He'll bother with his hair later. He figures he should probably change his shirt, too. He takes it off and stares at it. There's blood on it, but it's not his. No yellow, just burgundy. He shuts his eyes and grabs a different shirt from the floor. He walks back Terezi. She's just finishing wrapping up Aradia's arm. The girl is covered in bandages by now, but he's glad to see that most of them aren't soaking through. Terezi has removed her clothes, since they were so torn up and burnt and bloody that they wouldn't do her any good and instead just get in the way. Sollux would be lying if he said he didn't think about seeing this girl naked before, but now really isn't the time for such thoughts. He watches her breathing, which is, thank God, a lot steadier now and he can see her chest slowly move with each breath.

Terezi exhales and sits back on her heels. "1 C4N G3T H3R SOM3 N3W CLOTH3S. 1 W4S ST4Y1NG 4T T4VROS' H1V3 FOR 4 COUPL3 OF D4YS, SO 1 P4CK3D SOM3. W3'R3 4BOUT TH3 S4M3 H31GHT, TH3Y SHOULD F1T H3R." She stands up. "OH, Y34H. C4N 1 US3 YOUR COMPUT3R? 1 N33D TO T3LL T4VROS TH4T SH3'LL B3 F1N3. H3 W4S R34LLY WORR13D WH3N 1 L3FT."

He isn't the only one. Sollux nods and motions over to the computer. "thank2, TZ. for everythiing."

She shrugs. "WH4T 4R3 FR13NDS FOR?"

He sits down next to Aradia while Terezi types a message for Tavros.

"2o, 2he'll be okay?"

"SHOULD B3. TH3R3 4R3 SOM3 B4D BURNS 4ND FR4CTUR3S, BUT G1V3 1T T1M3. TH3Y'LL H34L. 1 4LSO M4N4G3D TO G3T SOM3 W4T3R 1NTO H3R. SH3'LL B3 F1N3."

Sollux's fingers lock around Aradia's. He's almost afraid to touch her in fear of hurting her any more. He still can't believe he actually did this to her. He hopes she will be able to forgive him one day. For now, she just has to get better. He can't imagine a world without her.

Terezi decides to stay with them overday, mostly because the sun is already going up and it's not safe to travel now. Sollux appreciates having her here, though. She helps him gently lift Aradia off the couch and place her into his recuperacoon. Hopefully, the slime will help her heal faster. He plants a kiss on her head, then lies down on the floor. He insists that Terezi sleep on the couch (which has been cleansed of the blood). She's really tired, and falls asleep in less than a minute.

He can feel his own eyes close and sleep takes over.

* * *

**I had to. Thank you for reading! Reviews are welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

Pain. That's the first thing her mind registers. She can't even pinpoint where it's coming from. Probably everywhere. She can already tell her arm is broken, as well as a few ribs. She tries to remember what happened. Something with Sollux ... yes, Sollux. She saw him, he was there. But something was wrong. She remembers calling out to him. It did nothing. Then, there was a blast, then something slammed into her, knocking her aside. And she recalls the intense heat. And someone was screaming. It might have been her, now that she thinks about it. But how did it happen? She was talking to someone ... Vriska, it was Vriska. That name helps everything fall into place. Terezi said that girl tends to take revenge too seriously, but that was an understatement. Was she actually trying to kill her? And using Sollux? That was low, even for her. But she didn't succeed. Aradia is still alive. At least, she thinks she is.

She slowly opens her eyes. Why does everything have to be so bright? She can make out the walls of the recuperacoon, the slime, and the bandages covering her arms, stained with her dark blood. Who took care of her? And how long has she been out? Her limbs feel sore, she guesses from being in the same position for a long time. She attempts to shift and has to bite down on her tongue to keep herself from screaming. She sits still, eyes shut, and takes a couple of deep breaths. Yeah, everything hurts. But she isn't going to get anywhere just sitting here. She tries to get up again, and this time a cry escapes her mouth.

"AA?"

Sollux? He's here? She thinks for a moment and decides that she isn't in her hive, but his. She should have noticed earlier, but her mind is a mess. She feels the back of a hand touch her cheek and looks up. Sollux's worried eyes stare at her. He exhales in relief.

"oh, god, AA. ii thought that ... ii thought ..."

She wants to tell him she's okay, but she can't. Not just because she isn't, she just can't put her thoughts into words. She can't manage anything above a whimper.

"AA, are you iin paiin? what am ii sayiing, of cour2e you are iin paiin."

Just listening to him talk makes her feel better. His lisp has got worse, and he's stuttering a bit, but it helps her relax. Because it's him. He's here with her.

"ii have 2ome paiin kiiller2. ii'l go get them, hold on."

She catches his hand before he pulls it away. "wait."

Her mind is getting more and more clouded, and she can barely think straight, but she knows one thing. She doesn't want to be alone.

"please, d0n't g0," she croaks. Her voice sounds pathetic, tired, and she hates it. But at the moment, she can't do anything about it.

Sollux hesitates for a moment, then finally climbs into the recuperacoon, not even bothering with removing his clothes. He gently places his arms around her. His grip is as light as a feather, as if he's afraid to touch her.

"ii don't know why you'd even want to be near me," he mutters. "ii almost kiilled you, ii-ii could have-"

She places her head on his shoulder, taking in his warmth and smell, and closes her eyes.

"n0t y0ur fault," she manages, before the world fades to black again.

* * *

She's fallen asleep again. This little interaction has worn her out. Nevertheless, he's glad she's finally responded. He's barely slept for the past few days, waiting for her to wake up. Terezi was right - just give her time. She'll be fine. But what did she mean, "not his fault"? Of course it's his fault. He expected her to be mad at him, to never talk to him again. Yet here she is in his arms. He prefers it this way, of course, but his conscience keeps bugging him. How can she still trust him?

He reaches out of the cocoon to grab his husktop. Terezi isn't online, but Tavros will do.

twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling adiosToreador

TA: hey, ju2t wanted two tell you that 2he woke up a couple of miinute2 ago

AT: oH, GOOD,

AT: i WAS GETTING WORRIED

AT: bECAUSE, i THOUGHT THAT, uH, YOU KNOW

AT: tHAT SHE MIGHT,,,

TA: yeah, ii thought about that a lot, too

TA: iit'2 okay

AT: cAN i, uH, CAN i TALK TO HER,

TA: 2he'2 actually a2leep now

TA: ju2t woke up for a liitle whiile and went back under

AT: oH, OKAY, NO PROBLEM

AT: sHE NEEDS TO REST

AT: i'LL JUST WAIT UNTIL SHE'S BETTER

AT: tHANK YOU FOR TELLING ME, THOUGH

TA: no problem

TA: 2ee you, tavro2

AT: bYE

adiosToreador ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

That's done. He contemplates writing Terezi a message anyway, but he figures he can wait until she's online. She's probably busy with something. He puts the husktop away and closes his eyes. It's not hard to fall asleep. He's really tired and now that he knows Aradia is going to be okay, he can get some rest.

* * *

Her mind is a bit clearer the next time she wakes up. The pain is still there, though. Sollux wakes up shortly after. He asks if she feels any better, and if she needs anything. She just shrugs. They lie there for a while, not talking, just thinking.

"h0w l0ng was i 0ut?" she asks quietly. Her voice is still weak, but it will get better.

"not 2ure. a couple of day2, ii gue22."

Must have been bad.

"we're at y0ur hive?"

He nods. "ii diidn't know where else two take you. ii hope that'2 okay."

"it's 0kay. i'm guessing my hive wasn't an 0pti0n?"

He sighs. "completely ruiined. iit's ju2t rumble now. ii'm 2o 2orry."

She feels a twinge of sadness. The hive wasn't much, but it was home, after all.

She's tired, but doesn't want to go back to sleep. She's done enough of that. She has to catch up on everything that has happened.

She lifts her head. "can y0u help me get up, please?"

"you 2ure?"

She doesn't know what he means by that - "are you sure you want to get up?" or "are you sure you want me to help you?". It doesn't matter. She nods. He places his arms around her and, using his psionics, slowly lifts them both from the cocoon. He gently lowers her to the floor, asks her if she's okay again, then hurries off to get some towels. She sits there, trying to take normal breaths as Sollux wipes the slime off her. He's being so gentle, so careful, that it almost hurts. He picks up a shirt and a pair of pants from the couch and helps her get dressed. She glances down at the Libra symbol on the shirt.

"is this terezi's?"

"yeah, 2he'2 the one who took care of you."

"remind me t0 thank her the next time i see her."

He nods. "2he took care of everythiing. ii just stood next to her, beiing u2ele22."

"y0u g0t me here, didn't y0u?"

He manages a small smile. "ii gue22. come on."

They sit down on the couch. Aradia brings her knees up to her chest. Sollux offers to go get the pain killers again. This time she doesn't decline. She's done with being stubborn. She can't take it anymore. He comes back with a couple of pills and a glass of water to help them go down. Then they sit, her leaning against him, waiting for the medicine to kick in. They both flinch as a roar shakes the room. It came from the roof. Aradia realizes it must have been Sollux's lusus.

He sighs. "he'2 alway2 makiing 2o much noii2e. alway2 need2 2omethiing. iit'2 driiviing me nut2."

Aradia turns to face him. "s0llux, is my lusus ...?"

She hasn't seen her around, and she doubts Sollux would just leave her at her ruined hive. Sollux's face just confirms her assumption.

"ii am 2o, 2o 2orry, AA. ii really am."

She knows he is. He looks so stressed, she thinks he might start crying any moment. It looks like she's an orphan now. She feels a tear slide down her cheek. Then another. She remembers something knocking her aside right before the blast. That prevented her from getting hit with the full force of Sollux's psionics. That is the reason she's still alive.

"she saved me," she sobs. "she g0t me 0ut 0f the way."

Sollux holds her. They're both crying now.

"i'll have t0 g0 back and give her a pr0per burial." She deserves that much.

Sollux looks at her with big teary eyes. He almost looks worse than she feels. "not riight now," he whispers.

She puts her head on his shoulder. "n0t right n0w," she agrees.

A sound causes them to glance up.

"iit'2 probably tavro2," Sollux says as he gets up and makes his way to the computer. "he wanted to talk to you earliier, but he 2aiid he could waiit untiil you woke up."

Talking to Tavros always makes her feel better. He's such a sweetheart, how could it not? She watches Sollux furrow his brow.

"what the ...?"

"what is it? is s0mething wr0ng with tavr0s?" First his legs and now what? Hasn't enough happened already?

"iit'2 not tavro2. iit's TZ. ii don't under2tand what- hey, don't get up!"

But she's already on her feet, peering over his shoulder to read the message.

gallowsCalibrator [GC] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

GC: H3K6I 1 V4N'ZSEE

GC: 1 FONG'R LMPOE EJS7R RO DP

GC: PK24D5R

gallowsCalibrator [GC] ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

"s0mething is wr0ng." This isn't like Terezi at all. Something has happened.

"yeah, but what?" He types a response, but she's offline now.

"we need t0 g0 0ver t0 her hive. we need t0 help her."

He places a hand on her shoulder to stop her from moving. "AA, ii can't let you go anywhere riight now."

"she's my friend, s0llux!" Tears are strolling down her cheeks again. "she was here f0r me and it's my duty t0 be there f0r her!"

He pulls her into a hug. "ii know. ii know that you care about her. liike ii care about you. 2o you can under2tand why ii can't let you do thii2."

She pulls away from him. "can we at least have s0me0ne check 0n her?"

He nods and sits down.

"KK ii2 onliine," he says as he scrolls through the chums list. "eriidan ii2, too."

"karkat," they both say at once.

twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]

TA: hey, KK

CG: WHAT?

CG: WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT NOW?

TA: wow, crabby much?

CG: LOOK, DOUCHE BAG. I DIDN'T GET MUCH SLEEP YESTERDAY BECAUSE OF CERTAIN...

CG: DREAMS

CG: YOU KNOW WHAT, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

CG: WHAT DO YOU WANT?

TA: ii need you two check on TZ

CG: WHY?

TA: 2he'2 ju2t me22aged me and iit look2 weiird

CG: WEIRD?

TA: here, look

twinArmageddons [TA] sent carcinoGeneticist [CG] the file "TZ weiirdme22age"

CG: YEAH, OK. THAT'S PRETTY WEIRD.

CG: MAYBE SHE'S JUST TROLLING.

TA: 2he'2 not an2weriing to anythiing ii 2ent her

TA: AA thiink2 2omethiing'2 wrong

CG: ALRIGHT, BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY I GUESS.

CG: BUT WHY DO I NEED TO GO OVER TO HER?

CG: I MEAN, YOU CAN FLY

CG: ARADIA CAN, TOO

CG: JUST SAYING

TA: AA can barely walk

TA: and ii can't leave her

TA: plea2e

CG: WAIT, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ARADIA?

TA: ii don't have tiime two talk about that riight now

TA: al2o, ii don't want two

TA: can you ju2t go make 2ure TZ ii2 okay?

CG: FUCKING OK.

CG: FINE.

TA: and can you me22age me when you get there?

CG: YEAH OKAY.

TA: thank2 KK

twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]

* * *

They figure the only thing they can do is wait. Terezi's hive is rather far, somewhere in a forest. It will take Karkat at least a couple of hours to get there on foot. Aradia talks to Tavros in the meantime, which seems to cheer her up a bit. Sollux goes up to the roof to feed his lusus. He usually tries his best to stay as far away from the bicyclops as possible, but today he stays with him a little longer. This whole thing has taught him to just appreciate what he has. You never know when it will be taken away from you, after all. He tries to talk to his guardian, just to let him know he does care, but he doubts the lusus can understand him. He isn't the most intelligent thing to ever roam the land. People say that two heads are better than one. Sollux would beg to differ. He sighs and heads back to his hive. The thing is too busy with the honey to even notice him anyway. Still, he wonders if he cares. If he misses him while he's down in his hive, sitting at a computer. Obviously, Aradia's lusus cared a lot about her. Enough to sacrifice her own life for the girl. Sollux feels his heart twist in knots. It just isn't fair. She didn't deserve this. He gets inside (through the window, because it's a lot more practical) and checks for any messages. Still nothing. He notices that Aradia has curled up on the couch and fallen asleep. Sleeping outside a recuperacoon can be risky, as bad dreams are more likely to occur during it, but she doesn't seem to be having any at the moment. He doesn't disturb her, just covers her with a blanket. Right then, he hears the sound he's been waiting for. He sprints to the computer.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

CG: I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL VRISKA.

CG: LIKE, I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING RIGHT NOW.

CG: THE NEXT TIME I SEE HER.

CG: SHE'D BETTER WATCH OUT.

TA: ii2 TZ okay?

CG: NO!

CG: SERIOUSLY, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

CG: SHE'S FUCKING BLIND!

TA: 2o, 2he can't 2ee?

CG: YEAH, THAT'S WHAT BEING BLIND MEANS.

TA: wow, okay

TA: but how diid that even happen?

CG: I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, SHE WASN'T EXACTLY MAKING MUCH SENSE.

CG: BUT HER EYES ARE RED.

CG: COMPLETELY RED.

CG: BURNED.

CG: SHE ALSO HAS SOME BURNS ON HER ARMS, SO I'M GUESSING SHE MUST HAVE STARED UP AT THE SUN OR SOMETHING.

TA: 2hiit

TA: and vrii2ka diid thii2?

CG: WHO ELSE?

TA: faiir poiint

TA: ii2 2he gonna be alriight?

CG: I DON'T KNOW.

CG: I HOPE SO.

CG: I'M STAYING WITH HER FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.

TA: that'2 good

TA: thank2 for checkiing on her

CG: THANKS FOR TELLING ME TO.

CG: SORRY I WAS SO PISSED BEFORE.

TA: iit'2 okay

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

"s0llux? is everything 0kay?"

Oh, she's awake. She stays quiet for some time, then her eyes widen.

"has karkat resp0nded? what did he say?" She props herself up on one elbow.

"hold on." He hurries over to her before she can get up, and sits down on the floor next to her. He tells about what he read just minutes ago. When he's done talking, she just stares at the floor. It's quiet for a while, then she whispers,

"s0, she g0t tavr0s, me and terezi."

She's talking about Vriska. It just makes him angrier the more he thinks about it.

"ii'll make her pay for thii2. ii 2wear."

She shakes her head. "s0llux, i d0n't want y0u g0ing anywhere near her."

"you can't ju2t expect me two do nothiing about her! look at what 2he'2 done!"

"yeah, exactly. l00k at what she's managed t0 d0 t0 three tr0lls. i d0n't want y0u t0 get inv0lved in this."

"AA, ii'm already iinvolved! 2he'2 the one who made me almo2t kiill you!"

Her eyes are wet with tears. "s0llux, pr0mise me y0u'll stay away fr0m her. d0 it f0r me, 0kay?"

He opens his mouth to argue some more, but her pleading eyes make him sigh, "okay."

* * *

The next couple of days are completely uneventful and Sollux likes it that way. He mostly spends them talking to Aradia or lying next to her while she sleeps. She's getting better, but is still not okay. He can see that. She can walk for a while on her own without stumbling, and when her legs do give out, she just shrugs it off. He knows she hates it. Being in such a fragile state. It's something that's probably new to her. He doesn't like seeing her like this, either. When he first heard her voice, weak and tired instead of her usual cheerful tone... well, it scared him. And it only gets worse when he casually reminds himself that_ he_ did this to her.

He is aware that he can't keep her inside for much longer. She keeps asking if they can go see how Terezi is doing, and he keeps putting it off. Because he wants her to get better. But he knows it means a lot to her, so in the end he finally agrees. They set off shortly after sunset. It turns out Aradia can use her psionics better than her limbs, but the main reason she's staying in the air is still Sollux supporting her with his psionics. It wears him out, keeping two trolls afloat, so they take breaks to rest. It takes them hours to finally get to Terezi's tree hive. Sollux takes time to get a look at all the colorful dragon plushies that are hanging from the tree branches before entering the hive. It's bigger than his or Aradia's (when it was still standing), since Terezi is higher than either of them on the hemospectrum. They don't have to search for long before they find the two trolls curled up on a pile made of more of those soft dragons. Terezi seems to be asleep, but Karkat's hand quickly flies to his sickle.

"WHO'S-" He stops as he turns his head to look at the pair. "OH, HEY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

He's speaking in a not-very-Karkat-like hushed tone now, possibly not to wake Terezi up.

"ju2t 2toppiing by two 2ay hii. how ii2 2he?"

Karkat shrugs as he gets up. "GETTING BETTER I GUESS. SHE SAYS SHE JUST NEEDS TO GET USED TO IT." He turns to Aradia. "HOW ARE YOU? TEREZI TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED."

"i'm 0kay," she says with a small smile.

He nods. "YEAH, WELL, GO AHEAD AND LIE DOWN WITH TEREZI IF YOU WANT. SOLLUX, I NEED TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING."

She trudges over to the pile while Karkat pulls Sollux to the computer in a different block. He opens up a conversation Terezi had a couple of days ago. Well, it was just Vriska messaging her. Terezi didn't reply. It probably happened after she was blinded. Sollux reads it twice, then exhales.

"2he'2 2uch a biitch," he murmurs.

"LOOK HOW SHE TEASED HER! JUST LOOK!" He points to a part and reads in outloud in his best mocking voice. ""Hahahaha! You won't 8elieve this, 8ut it only occurred to me now that you won't even 8e a8le to read this! Even if you do somehow manage to stum8le 8ack to your hive... you're 8lind now! Whoooooooops. It would 8e a real shame if we couldn't 8ury the hatchet and 8e gr8 friends again 8ecause of a stupid 8ullshit reason like that." WHO THE FUCK DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?"

Sollux grits his teeth. "2he'2 really gone two far thii2 tiime. AA told me about her, but ii diidn't thiink 2he wa2 thii2 bad."

"DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THIS! AND LOOK HOW SHE JUST EXPECTS TEREZI TO "BURY THE HATCHET"! SHE'S GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!"

"look2 liike TZ diid do 2omethiing." Sollux bites his bottom lip. "vrii2ka 2aiid 2he wa2 mii22iing an arm." He reads the message again. "and an eye."

Karkat turns to face him. "OH, REALLY? ARE AN ARM AND AN EYE SUPPOSED TO COMPETE WITH:" He counts on his fingers, "A PARALYZED TROLL, A BLINDED TROLL AND A TROLL WHO WAS NEARLY KILLED? TELL ME SOLLUX, DOES IT SEEM FAIR TO YOU?"

He shuts his eyes. "AA a2ked me not to get iinvolved."

"SERIOUSLY? YOU COULD DO THIS FOR HER, YOU KNOW!"

He shakes his head. "2orry, KK."

"FINE, BE THAT WAY," Karkat humphs. "BUT SHE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO ME. I'LL TAKE CARE OF VRISKA, YOU'LL SEE!" He turns back to the computer screen. "THIS ISN'T OVER."

* * *

Aradia slowly lowers herself onto the pile next to Terezi. She wonders if Terezi makes these dragons herself. They're really soft and apparently great for sleeping on. She looks at the sleeping girl. Her arms are bandaged, her hair is brushed, and she generally seems okay. Karkat has obviously been taking good care of her. Aradia knew something was wrong the second she read that message. It's a good thing Karkat was willing to go check on her. How did she even manage to find her way back to the hive? And pick a troll to message for help? She could've easily died out there, with the sun shining. Tavros too, when he was thrown off the cliff. Vriska has attempted to kill three trolls in about a week's time. That thought alone makes her sick to her stomach.

Terezi stirs and mumbles something. She's having a bad dream. Aradia covers Terezi's hand with her own in an attempt to calm her down. Her eyes flutter open and Aradia has to stop herself from gasping. Sollux told her what Karkat had said. But she thought he was exaggerating a bit. He wasn't. Terezi's eyes are completely red. Burned.

"K4RK4T?" she mutters. Her voice is weak, too. And there are dark circles under her eyes, as if she hasn't slept in a while.

"n0, just me. he's 0ver in the next bl0ck, i can go get him if y0u want."

She stares at her for a little while, her empty eyes looking right through her. "4R4D14?"

"yeah."

Terezi throws her arms around her. "OH MY GOD, YOU'R3 4LR1GHT. WH4T 4R3 YOU DO1NG H3R3?"

"s0llux and i came t0 check up 0n you. h0w are y0u d0ing?"

"1T W1LL T4K3 SOM3 T1M3 TO G3T US3D TO," she mumbles. "BUT OTH3RW1S3, 1'M OK4Y. K4RK4T'S H3LP1NG." She runs a hand over Aradia's bandaged arms. "4ND WH4T 4BOUT YOU? 4R3 YOU 4NY B3TT3R?"

"yeah, a l0t. thank y0u f0r taking care 0f me back there. i 0we y0u."

She shakes her head. "WH4T 4R3 FR13NDS FOR?"

She smiles, even though Terezi can't see it. "seri0usly, thank y0u. and just t0 make sure, we're d0ne dealing with vriska?"

She nods. "SH3'S NOT WORTH 1T. N3V3R W4S." A tear slides down her cheeks. Then another. "TH1S 1S 4LL MY F4ULT."

"what? why w0uld any 0f this be y0ur fault?" Aradia stares at the ground. "i br0ught this 0n myself. y0u warned me. i didn't listen. y0u were being a g00d friend. i was being stubb0rn."

Terezi stretches out her hand. "1S TH3R3 4 WH1T3 SC4L3M4T3 4ROUND H3R3?"

Scalemates? Is that what she calls them? Cute name. "yeah, here." She hands Terezi the dragon. She brings it to her chest and closes her eyes.

"TH4NKS." She's quiet for about a minute, then speaks in a hushed voice, "YOU KNOW, 1 THOUGHT 1 COULD 4CTU4LLY T4K3 C4R3 OF VR1SK4 MYS3LF. 1 WOULD JUST H4V3 4 T4LK W1TH H3R, L1K3 W3 D1D WH3N W3 W3R3 L1TTL3. 1 R3M3MB3R SH3 W4SN'T 4LW4YS TH1S..."

"terrifying?" Aradia offers.

"Y34H, TH4T." She smiles a bit. "1 D1D G3T H3R B4CK PR3TTY GOOD, THOUGH. SH3'S LOST 4N 4RM 4ND 4N 3Y3. S33M3D PR3TTY P1SS3D 4BOUT 1T, TOO."

Aradia thinks about that. Considering Vriska lives next to Equius, it won't be that much of a problem for her to get a replacement for the arm. She's still left with just one eye after that, but Terezi has been blinded. For life. It somehow doesn't seem fair.

Terezi nudges her arm. "SO, WH4T D1D YOU DO TO P1SS H3R OFF SO B4D?"

"0h, i just sent s0me gh0sts t0 hunt her. must have really shaken her up."

Terezi laughs a bit. "TH4T'S 1T? WOW, T4LK 4BOUT OV3RS3NS1T1V3."

Isn't this always the case? Sensitive people hiding that weakness under a layer of cruelty? It's a shame some just won't accept themselves for who they are.

"TH3S3 4R3 JUST GR34T, 4R3N'T TH3Y?" Terezi says, motioning to the scalemates. "SOM3 S4Y TH3Y'R3 CH1LD1SH, BUT TH3Y'R3 OBV1OUSLY JUST J3LOUS TH4T TH3Y DON'T H4V3 4 P1L3 OF TH3M."

"0bvi0usly."

"YOU KNOW, 1 R34LLY TH1NK YOU SHOULD T4K3 ON3 W1TH YOU."

"really?"

"Y34H. CONS1D3R 1T 4 G1FT. FROM 4 FR13ND."

"thank y0u," she smiles as she picks up a red dragon with bright yellow buttons for eyes. "y0u're the best."

* * *

It's already day outside, so Sollux and Aradia sleep over. Nobody dares risk any further injuries. When the sun sets, the four trolls stand outside the hive.

"y0u sure y0u're g0ing t0 be 0kay?"

Terezi nods as Karkat wraps an arm around her shoulders. "DON'T WORRY. S4Y H1 TO T4VROS FOR M3."

They exchange their goodbyes, then set off. Sollux flies slowly to waste as little energy as possible, but it's obvious he can't wait to get back to the hive. Aradia seems better. She doesn't have to worry about Terezi now, and can focus on getting back to full health. Now that Sollux has taken her to see her friend, maybe she'll do him a favor and just stay inside for a while. He's still worried about Karkat, though. He wasn't serious when he said he'd get revenge on Vriska, was he? He hopes not. Aradia is right. They should just break this crazy cycle of revenge before something worse happens. Though he can't possibly imagine what. They finally get back, maybe an hour before sunrise. They're both tired from the trip, but they talk for a little bit before going to sleep.

"ii can help you rebuiild your hiive iif you want. iit'll be good a2 new."

"n0, it just w0uldn't be the same." She thinks for a minute. "s0llux, d0 y0u mind if i just stay here with y0u?"

The response surprises him, but he doesn't deny the request. "of cour2e. ii mean, iif you want to."

"thank y0u," she says as she closes her eyes.

* * *

"alright." She puts the shovel down next to her. "that sh0uld d0 it."

They waited a couple more weeks before finally coming to bury Aradia's lusus, since she wanted to do it herself. And without using psionics. There isn't that much left of the body, mostly bones, but they still find it fitting to bury them. Trolls don't usually bury anything, Aradia's just weird like that. Sollux said the lusus might appear to her sometimes as a ghost. She guesses that would be nice, but not the same. Aradia mutters some words of appreciation for her guardian, then goes to pick up the shovel. She reaches for it, but something distracts her. There is something in the dirt, but it's not bones or anything like that. She digs it up with her hands. It's actually two things. They look like CD cases. She calls out to Sollux, who is moping around further away from the ruined hive, and beckons him over. She told him he didn't have to come if he didn't want to (and he obviously didn't), but he did anyway. She's thankful for that, because it's always nice to have someone with you at things like these. He's been keeping his distance from the whole scene. There's still some blood on the ground and whatever's left of the walls, so he's probably freaked out by that. He slowly walks over to her, careful not to look at the blood, and peers over her shoulder.

"CD'2?" he asks.

"i guess. any idea what they c0uld be?"

He shrugs. "ii could take a look on the computer. probably ju2t 2ome lame game or 2omethiing, though."

"wh0 kn0ws?" She puts the cases in the bag they've brought with them. Just in case they found any things that weren't too badly damaged. "this c0uld be fun."

* * *

**Alright, thanks for reading!**


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